Heddle-handling device and process



Feb. 18, 1930. A. F. HOUSTON 1, 5

HEDDLE HANDLING DEVICE AND PROCESS Filed Nov. 10. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. 44 f NH B M ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 18, 1930. A. F. HOUSTON l,747,775

HEDDLE HANDLING DEVICE AND PROCESS Filed Nov. 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

I ATTORNEYS.

I When any particular style of cloth is to be i Patented Feb. 18, 1930UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE ARGHIBALD F. HOUSTON, OF SAGO, MAINEHEDDLE-HANDLING DEVICE AND PROCESS Application filed November 10, 1925.Serial No. 68,115.

This invention relates to the handling of heddles such as are used inthe harnesses of looms, particularly those of the wire or sheetmetaltype.

manufactured there must be arranged on the harness bars, a certainnumber of heddles corresponding with the number of warp threads whichare to be raised and'lowered by that particular harness.

WVhen another type of cloth is to be made, it usually happens that thereare either many more or many less warp threads, and this means eitheradding on or removing the same.

number of heddles.

The present practice is to count off the numher which are to be removed,and to then pull them off in a bunch. l/Vhen it becomes necessary toreplace these, or any part of them, it is necessary to thread theharness bars carefully through each heddle loop. Thisis a very longprocess.

The purpose of this invention is to provide I an implement and a processby which the number of heddles to be removed, can be counted off at oneend, and while still on the harness bar, be strung on a strip orpreferably two strips or legs ofmeta-l upon which and with which theyare then removed until needed. K

WVhen it is necessary to replace any number of heddles, this implementis used to replace them onthe'harness bars, and it can be used in suchamanner that there will be no particular heddle the loop of which willnot be positively threaded back where it belongs.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the preferredform of mydevice.-

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing both endsof a harness, with part ofmy'device in position for removing or replacing heddles.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation showing the loop at onefend of, one typeof heddle and the position of the legs of my device when replacingheddles on the harness bars.

Fig. 4 is a detail showing the points of my parallel carrying strips, asthey are used in picking up the heddles for removal.

N Fig. 5 is a view of the pointed ends of two carrying strips.

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing how it is pos- I sible, if a single carryingbar is used, for one heddle to ride, and not to be properly replaced on.the harness bar. 7 i

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of carrying strip without a connecting bar.1

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a duplex implement with legs of equal lengthand flat ended replacing heddles.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of a modification.

Figs. 11 and 12 are elevations of other modifications.

Fig. 13'is a view similar to Fig. 3, of the modification shown in Fig.12. v

Figs. 14; and 15 are sectional views of other modifications. I I

Fig.j 16 is a perspective View showing the application of my devices andimplements to a leno harness.

In the drawings, F represents a harness j which ismade up of the woodenor metal bars 1 10 and 11 at the top and bottom connected by the endbars 12 and 13, through each of which, near the top and bottom, are thepassages 18 for the top and bottom heddle bars 14 and15.

These heddle bars 14' and 15 are generally a flat metal and eachprojects at each end through a slotlS so that its locking hole 19 can beengaged by the end 17 of the wire locking device 16 of well-known type.

To remove or replace heddles, the locking devices 16 at one end, such asthe left, are disengaged from the locking holes 19, and the heddle bars14 and 15 are pushed as to the right until clear of their slots 18, atthe left, when they are then brought back to the left over the bar suchas 12. In this po sition the heddles H can be slipped off at the end ornew heddles can be slipped on. 5 is the loop and 6 the eye of a heddle.

My preferred form of device includes a connecting bar A to the ends ofwhich are pivoted as at 9 and 8, the heddle handling implements B and C.Each of these implements Band C includes two fiat parallel carryingstrips 20. and 21 of unequal length,

arrow and sharpened at their tips so that they can slip in between theface of a heddle bar such as 14 and the metal 30 011 the side of theloop 5 of a heddle as shown clearly in Fig. 3.

The longer strip 20 is bent as at 24 near its point 22 towards theshorter, so that it will plow under or in between, and positively threadeach heddle as it is passed along, as see Fig. 4. I

Preferably there are registering holes 25 in the free ends 22 and 23-,through which a fastening clip such as 26 can pass if desired, so thatthe heddles cannot slip off when the device has removed them from theharness.

WVhen it is desired to remove heddles, the two adjoining ends of thebars 14 and 15 are freed from the bar 12, and the points 22, '23 ofstrips 20 and 21 are slipped both on one side of bar 14, and the same isdone with the lower set Con bar 15, as shown in Fig. 3, 13 and C beingslipped in so as to carry a given number of heddles. They areslipp'ed'oli' carrying the heddles, and the bars 14and 15 are put backand locked in place. By means of clips such as 26 at one end, and thebar A at the other end, the removed heddles are locked in place until itis desired to replace them.

When it is desired to replace the whole or any part of them, the processi's reversed, care being taken to slip in the points 22 and 23, one oneach side of'a bar such as 14.

If only a single carrying bar such as 63, shown in Fig. 6, were used inconnection with a heddle bar 14, it would be possible for someparticular heddle such as 61 to ride on 14 instead of being replaced inits proper position, and this would cause a great deal of trouble. It ison account of replacing heddlesthat I prefer to use parallel carryingstrips or legs instead of single ones.

Instead of using a connecting bar such as A I may use single implements,each including two carrying strips or legs 20 and 21, having near thedull end, holes 27, through which a clip 28 can passto hold themtogether, and with the clip 26 which passes through holes 25,keep theheddles from slipping off the ends as shown in Fig. 7.

It is not necessary that the two carrying strips should be of unequallength nor that they should be pointed, although I preferth'atconstruction. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, I may usetwo fiat carryingstrips and 71, through one end of which are: the rectangw lar holes suchas 72 through which the clip 7 3 may be passed to hold that endtogether, and to prevent the strips from pivoting or swinging around.

The free ends 74 and 7 5 are sharpened or beveled but not pointed likean arrow.

In 'Fig. 10 I show a single flat strip '80 having at the blunt end 81 astop 84"which may be permanent, and is to prevent theheddles I-I fromslipping o'if,'while the other'end 82 is beveled or sharpened and may ormay not be pointed. If desired there may be a hole 85 through this endto permit the passage of a stopping or holding clip 83 which can betakenout when threading the heddles, or

unthreading them, and put in place when they are being stored away.

As shown in Fig. 11, I may even use a flat strip 90 which has no stopand is not either sharpened or pointed.

Instead of a flat strip, I might, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, use around wire or rod 91, preferably pointed or sharpened or beveled at 92.As shown in Fig. 18, this might be passed in over the top of the heddlebar 14 inside the loop 5 of heddle H.

As shown in Fig. 14, I might use a halfround wire such as shown verymuch enlarged at 93. As shown in Fig. 15, I might use a strip 94 ofU-shaped cross-section which could slide over the top and partly 'oneach side of heddle bar 14.

In Fig. 16 I show the application of two of my devices, to what is knownas a leno doup harness.

This comprises two harness frames 96 and 97, each of which has the usualWooden'franre and end bars, and each of which has the top heddle bars100 and 101, and bottom heddle bars 102 and 103.

The loops 105 of the main heddles 104 pass over these top and bottomheddle bars, and these main heddles are interlocked and arranged in awell-known manner.

Besides the main heddles there are also what are known as leno heddles106, interlocked with the main heddles, and each 'having two legs, inthe end'o'f each legthere being'a loop 107.

In handling such a leno arrangement I use two of my'devices 111 and 112,each with an implement in each end, with the top and bottom heddle bars100, 101, 102, and 103, and

also two separate implements such as 1 15"and 116, which may be similarto those shown in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11,12,13, 14, and 15, each beingprovided at each endwith-a stop suchas 117 or 118 which is preferably'aremovable clip as shown.

I claim:

1. The combination in a heddle handling device, of a connecting barpivoted at each end to a heddle handling implement which comprises'twofiat'carrying strips 'of unequal length, each pivoted at on'eend ofthebar, and

at the other end "pointed and'sharpened, the longer strip being alsobent near its point towards the shorter, and means near the pointed endsof each tokeep theheddles from ppin 0ft '2. The combination in "a heddlehandling device, of -a connecting b'a r pivoted at each end to 'a heddlehandling implementwhich comprises two flat carrying 'stripsof'unequallength, each pivoted at one end of the bar, and at the other end pointedand sharpened, the longer strip being also bent near its point towardsthe shorter,

3. A heddle handling implement which comprises two flat carrying stripsof unequal length'fastened together at one end, the longer strip beingbent near its free end towards the shorter and having stops near eachend.

4. A heddle handling implement which comprises two flat carrying stripsof unequal length fastened together at one end, the longer strip beingbent near its free end towards the shorter.

5. The process of handling heddles which consists of passing a carryingstrip through adjoining heddle eyes while said heddles are still on aheddle bar, and of then removing the carryingstrip with said heddlesfrom the heddle bar. a

6. A heddle handling implement which comprises two flat carrying strips,with their flat faces adjoining, fastened together at one end and at theother end pointed and sharpened and having proximate said pointed andsharpened ends means to keep the heddles from slipping off.

7. A heddle handling implement which comprises two flat carrying stripswith their fiat faces proximate each other, fastened together at oneend, and at their other ends sharpened, together with detachable meansnear the sharpened ends to keep the heddles from slipping off.

8. A heddle handling implement which I comprises two flat carryingstrips having their fiat faces substantially in contact throughout theirlength, both being sharpened at'adjoining ends and having stops neareach end, the stop near the sharpened ends being removable.

ARGHIBALD F. HOUSTON.

